Sleepless
by rosesandmusicsheets
Summary: Amin tries to move on with his life after his wife's death, but things get complicated when his son Reza calls a radio show asking advice on how his Papa can find a new wife. Newly engaged Christine finds herself drawn to a stranger on the radio. Destiny takes a hand. Charoga. Sleepless in Seattle AU.
1. Magic

**A/N:** Before we begin, I would like to thank Bogglocity and gracianasi for motivating and inspiring me to get this out, especially Bogglocity who has graced us all with the pureness of Charoga. "Sleepless in Seattle" is one of my favorite movies of all time and after watching it again for the holidays, this Charoga fic idea hit me like a ton of bricks. (Was first meant to be E/C but… you know how tricky that can be. Don't worry I have another idea in the works.) Some of you may know that I was also working on an another E/C fic months ago. Don't worry I haven't given up on that one yet. It's just, when you base a fic off of a movie, things tend to move along a lot faster plot-wise. Especially when you pretty much follow the movie scene by scene. ^.^

You don't _have_ to watch the movie to enjoy the story below - but it is highly recommended because 1) it's one of my favorite rom-coms and is genuinely a feel good movie and 2) because I think you'd enjoy seeing the parallels and nods. (I also added a "You've Got Mail" line in this first chapter, let me know if you can spot it. Can you tell how much I love the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks love team?) Reviews are always welcome of course. :) Without further ado, please enjoy "Sleepless".

* * *

 **Chicago, June**

The sun emerged from thick clouds and brightened the little garden area behind the house. There, a young boy with sun-kissed skin and wavy unkempt hair played with his toys, climbing a small jungle gym as he did. His father watched from afar as a warm humid breeze blew in. The too familiar smell of fresh flowers thick in the air.

"Amin?"

Amin slowly faced Darius who was seated across from him - his voice bringing him back to the little garden. "Sorry, what was that?"

Darius' wife Neda reached out and gently squeezed his hand. He had forgotten it was on the table until she reached over. "Have you thought about coming to Seattle?" she asked. "Might be nice for the both of you to take a break."

Amin took a deep breath, allowing the floating bits of himself to return before replying. "Actually I have. But I've been thinking..." He paused to look at Reza, who began to play-talk between the toy woman and her car. "I've been thinking of a _permanent_ break actually."

"Oh?" Darius replied curiously as he and Neda exchanged looks.

"I've been offered a position… at _your_ firm," he noted with a curious smile. "I thought maybe you were responsible for it?"

"What!? I didn't even know the offer existed!" Darius said excitedly. "That's amazing timing. Mr. Reyer just announced his retirement. When were you going to tell us?"

"I only accepted this morning. But I had been thinking about relocating for some time now…" His jade-green eyes glazed off into the distance as he continued, "I am constantly reminded of Soraya's absence here."

"As am I," Neda added gently, strands of her long ebony hair floating in the wind as another warm breeze came in. She looked over at her nephew. "And Reza is okay with this decision?"

Amin combed his fingers through his own dark wavy curls speckled with strands of silver. "I've talked to him about it. He said he would miss this house," he chuckled. "But somehow…" He watched as Reza slid from the top of the slide, _woahs_ and laughs trailing behind him as he did. "Somehow he knows it will be for the best." He smiled, a small sadness lingering in his eyes. "Somehow, he is stronger than I am."

"My sister would have been proud of you both," said Neda.

"And excited as well," Darius added, rubbing Neda's back. "When is this move happening?"

"To be honest, I haven't decided yet. I found something on the market though. A houseboat near Lake Union."

"That's not far from us!" Neda said excitedly. "The houseboats out there are lovely."

"That would be perfect, it's not too far from the office," Darius said. "I can't believe I get to work with you again. And…"

He looked over at Neda, waiting for a sign of approval. She smiled and nodded gently as he held her hand.

"And?" Amin urged curiously.

"And," he continued, "It would be nice for our child to have their uncle and cousin around… when they are born."

Amin looked at them both wide-eyed. "No!"

She nodded again, laughing as Darius squealed in delight. Amin let out a hearty laugh, his first real laugh in weeks.

"Why didn't you tell us!?" he asked as he went over to hug them both. "Congratulations!"

"We were waiting for a good time," she replied, tears welling in her eyes. "And we didn't want to worry you."

"Nonsense, this is… this is amazing," he said holding both of their hands in his. "Reza and I need be with family."  
He smiled again at the realization of their situation. "And _you_ will need all the help you can get."

"I managed to tell Soraya before…" Neda shook her head and released a shaky breath. "It was the last time I saw her smile," she laughed weakly.

Amin gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm glad. I'm glad you were able to tell her."

"Papa, Papa!" Reza called as he ran towards them. "Did you tell them?"

"Yes," he replied, playfully squeezing Reza's nose. "In fact, they have surprise news for us as well."

"Really? What is it Auntie? Uncle?" he asked.

"Let's head inside first, we'll talk over lunch!" she replied.

"But is it a good surprise or a bad surprise?" he asked again.

"Good!" said Darius as he picked up Reza, holding him at his side, parallel to the floor. Reza struggled playfully and Neda followed them inside, the sounds of laughter filling up the house.

Amin took a moment before heading inside to look up at the sky. Another warm breeze blew in, the scent of flowers surrounding him once more. He wondered how different the sky would be in Seattle. If it would provide him the same comfort as it did here. Would things be different? Would anything change? Would the void in his heart ever be filled?

 _Decidedly not_ , Amin thought as he headed towards the house. _I_ _t just doesn't happen twice_.

 **Baltimore, Christmas Eve, 2 years later**

Christine felt a warm tug as she pulled up in front of the familiar house, all decorated with twinkling white lights. Memories of her childhood played before her eyes. Running around the front yard with her father. Reading on the porch on a warm summer's night. Playing in the freshly fallen autumn leaves.

Tonight, she would make another fond memory.

As expected, Raoul followed close behind, and parked behind her. She glanced in her mirror quickly, making sure her unruly brunette curls had stayed in place during the drive. She stepped out of her car and began removing presents from the backseat.

"Are you excited?" she called out as Raoul stepped out of his car.

He gave a small chuckle before replying as he gathered his own gifts. "Of course!"

They locked their cars simultaneously and made their way towards the house.  
" _You_ excited?" he asked, a cool evening breeze whipping the blond strands of hair about his face.

"Very!" she said flashing her wide smile.

"Nervous?" he teased.

"Mmmm," she replied cautiously. "Not… at this very moment."

"Oh?"

"I might be later?" Her fingers fiddled with the red scarf wrapped around her neck.

"You mean for my parents?" he asked, slightly surprised.

Christine cringed slightly and stopped about five feet short of the house. The glow from the string of lights brightening the blush on her cheeks.

"Well, I know your parents _like_ me. But, what if I'm not…" She paused thoughtfully. "What if I don't meet their expectations?"

Raoul placed his gifts down beside him and walked over to her. "Oh Christine," he said as he cupped her cheek in his gloved hand, his thumb gently caressing her skin. "I'm sure they want nothing but my happiness," he said, locking eyes with her before continuing. "And you are my happiness."

Christine released a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled gently. "I love you Raoul."

"I love you, Little Lotte," he replied, placing a warming kiss to her lips.

* * *

"Attention everyone!" Mama Valerius called out from the end of the dinner table. "Before we begin, Christine has an announcement to make."

"Ooooh," Meg teased as she raised her eyebrows.

Christine chuckled softly as she looked around the table. Mama and Papa Valerius at the ends of the table, Meg and Ms. Giry across from them. Raoul at her side. Everyone she cared for sat before her and she felt like she could burst with happiness. She inhaled deeply.

"Raoul and I… are engaged!"

A simultaneous cry of excitement came from the table and oohs and awws filled the room.

Ms. Giry nodded in approval. "Of course you are, it only took you 2 years!"

"Oh darling, congratulations!" Professor Valerius said as he embraced Christine, his long beard tickling her cheek. "He is a good man."

"I know, thank you Papa," she replied kissing him on the cheek.

"Finally!" Meg exclaimed as she hugged Raoul.

"I know, I know!" Raoul replied, reaching out to embrace Ms. Giry as well.

"I wasn't sure how long I could have kept that in my dearest!" Mama said as she held Christine tightly. "Let's us two go to the attic later hm?" she whispered excitedly. "I have something for you!"

Christine smiled, nodding as she returned her tight embrace.

Mama then insisted they start eating before the dinner went cold and everyone returned to their seats. The conversation continued as they passed the food around.

"To think, that after all these years, you would see each other again," said Professor Valerius as he scooped a healthy portion of creamy mashed potatoes onto his plate.

"It was destiny," added Meg. "Of all the theaters you could have auditioned at, you end up at the one Raoul's father owns."

"It was a _coincidence_ ," corrected Christine, as she passed the brussel sprouts. "And I auditioned at lots of places!"

"But your audition was postponed remember?" Meg said, scooping up her own portion of mashed potatoes. "If it had been scheduled as planned, you wouldn't have met Raoul the day you _actually_ auditioned."

"Oh?" said Mama, as she helped herself to a dinner roll.

"Actually, I don't think I'd have ever met you again if we hadn't bumped into each other that day," said Raoul.

"What? Nooo," replied Christine.

"No really! I was supposed to have lunch with dad and he told me to meet him there," recalled Raoul. "I can't even count the number of places he owns. So I would have never stepped foot there if he hadn't told me to go."

"How amazing!" Professor Valerius added.

"Mhmmm," Meg teased. Christine managed to nudge her foot under the table.

"And now to be married!" cried Mama in excitement.

As the conversation continued at the table, Christine's eyes roamed about the room. It was finely decorated with garland and ribbons all around. A mistletoe by the entryway. Stockings hung up on the fireplace. And there on the mantle, a picture of her and her father. It was from her 11th birthday, right before he was diagnosed. They were blowing out her candles, the picture taken mid-puff. She smiled at the silly image and then sighed quietly.

"A toast!" Professor Valerius said suddenly as he raised his glass. She smiled at him, thankful for the interruption.

"To Raoul… and my little girl," he continued softly. "Your father would be as happy and proud as I am."

"Oh Papa," she said, tears welling up in her eyes as she held his hand.

"To Raoul and Christine," said Mama, raising her own glass.

"To Raoul and Christine!"

* * *

"Here it is!"

Mama lifted the top off of a dusty pink box and Christine gasped. Mama's wedding dress - pale pink, almost cream colored, the front covered in intricate beading, swirling into a delicate tangle of leaves and flowers. The off-shoulder lace short sleeves had even more delicate beading work, the fabric there almost translucent. Mama lifted the dress gently to show off the long train. Attached to the back, a voluminous yet elegant bow.

"Oh Mama, this is beautiful!" Christine said as she admired it in the light.

"I didn't enjoy the puffy sleeves myself in those days so I did without them," she laughed. "I believe I replaced them quite nicely, don't you think?"

"I'm shocked I haven't seen this before," she replied, mesmerized by the beading, her fingertips softly tracing over the work.

"I'd be honored if… If you considered wearing this on your big day," Mama hesitated.

"Really? Are you sure?"

"You're the only one I want to see in it," she said as she squeezed her hand gently. "You don't have to of course!"

"I'm… I'm so touched," Christine said, tears welling up once more.

"And you're free to make any changes you'd like! I know it's not quite the modern dress."

"Actually," she said, inspecting the dress more closely. "I quite like it!"

"How about you try it on quickly, hm?" Mama said as she began unbuttoning the back of the dress.

"Alright!" she replied excitedly.

"Oh my dear, I'm so excited for you! And he's as wonderful as I remember!"

Christine laughed as she began to undress "He is wonderful isn't he?"

"And how are his parents? Do they know?"

"We're driving down to D.C. tonight so we can share the news with them Christmas morning," she replied.

"Oh how wonderful! I still can't believe how you two met again. You were so close as children. It must have been a sign," she said hopelessly.

"I don't much believe in signs," Christine chuckled. "A stroke of luck more like."

"Isn't it amazing though how one can change your life?" she said as she lifted the dress onto Christine.

"You know, I met Papa in college," Mama recalled. "I had a class that I wasn't too fond of and I nearly… 'ditched' as the kids say." Christine laughed as she wiggled fully into the dress. "I probably told you this story before..."

"No," she replied softly.

"Well," she continued, "I would have never met him, if I hadn't gone to class that day. Your Papa was the professor's assistant, so _he_ ended up giving the lecture that day because the professor was ill." She began buttoning the back of the dress. "Oh Christine, I never paid so much attention before in my life."

"Mama!" Christine giggled.

"At the end of class I put my things away slowly, trying to think of something to say. Suddenly I became nervous so I decided I should leave without saying a word. But your Papa, he stopped me and asked if he could walk me to my next class," she said with a smile. "We talked as if we had known each other for years. And as we stopped outside the classroom door, he held my hand. I looked down and couldn't tell which fingers were his and which were mine… And that's when I knew," she said gently, finishing the top buttons.

"Knew what?" Christine asked softly.

"You know…"

Christine shook her head.

"Magic. It was magic," she said as she stepped away to view Christine fully.

"Magic…" Christine repeated, testing the word on her lips.

"I knew we'd be together forever and that our lives would be wonderful. Just like how you feel about Raoul."

Christine hummed and she turned to walk towards the floor length mirror.

"Oh," Mama said softly as she came into view. "Darling, it looks wonderful. How do you feel?"

"I… I love it," Christine replied as she turned slowly. A vision in pale pink - it quite nicely matched the blush on her cheeks. "Are you sure you're okay with me wearing this?"

"Yes my darling," she said as she gently placed the veil atop her head.

"It's perfect," she replied, smiling as she reached over to hug her.

Suddenly a rip pierced the air and they both gasped.

"Oh no!" Christine cried, she could feel a large opening near the buttons, the fabric loose at her back.

"Oh dear," Mama said as she inspected the back. "Not to worry. Nothing a little adjustment can't fix I'm sure."

"It's a sign…" Christine whispered as she reached behind her to inspect the damage herself.

"But darling you don't believe in signs," Mama replied.

* * *

Christine turned up the volume as she yawned for the second time that evening. She had only been in the car for twenty minutes but she could already feel the food coma seeping in. As she listened to "Jingle Bells" for what seemed like the millionth time that night, she let her fingers toggle the radio scanner, hoping to find something more stimulating.

" _-and now everybody's favorite: Dominick the Donkey!"_

"Nope."

" _-tonight's discussion. Let's talk about you and your liver this holiday-"_

"Not on your life."

" _Tonight's topic is 'Christmas Dreams and Wishes'. I'm Dr. Carlotta Giudicelli, live from the Sears Tower in Chicago. What's your wish this Christmas-"_

"My wish is to stay awake…"

" _We have a caller here from Seattle_ _,_ _"_ she continued. _"_ _Hi, who's this_ _?"  
_ " _My name is Reza,"_ a young voice said.

Christine hummed curiously.

" _You sound very young Reza, how old are you?"  
_ " _Eight."  
_ " _Oh, that is quite young,"_ she laughed. _"Well, what's your Christmas wish tonight?"  
_ " _It's for my Papa. He needs a new wife."_

"What?" she laughed, her fingers returning to the wheel.

" _Oh really? Why's that?"_ she chuckled.  
" _Well he doesn't have one now."  
_ " _O_ _h I see. Well w_ _here's your mo_ _m_ _?"  
_ " _She_ _…_ _she died."_

Christine let out a short gasp. "Oh, no."

" _Oh, Reza. I'm so sorry to hear that._ _"  
_ " _He's been pretty depressed about it for a while now. It worries me sometimes."  
_ " _Have you guys talked about it? Does he know how you feel?"  
_ " _Sometimes, but he gets really sad about it when I try. So we stop."_

Christine hummed again, nodding empathetically.

" _That's understandable. Is your_ _dad_ _at home right now?"  
_ " _Yeah he's out on the deck."  
_ " _Well Reza, I think I might be able to help you, help your dad_ _. I_ _f you can get him on the phone to talk with us-"_

"What!" Christine exclaimed. "Shameless woman! Don't listen to her Reza, hang up!"

" _I don't know… He might get mad at me."  
_ " _He won't Reza. As soon as he finds out how concerned you are for him-"_

"Oooh, I dunno about that," Christine chuckled. Reza paused before continuing.

" _Alright, but if I get into trouble I'm never listening to you ever again."_

Christine let out a hearty laugh. She didn't feel so tired anymore.

* * *

The night air was cold out on the deck. Amin exhaled slowly, wrapping his jacket more tightly around him. The house was covered in white twinkling lights, just enough to be festive. Reza had asked for them this year, and he saw no reason to deny the small request, though the inside of the house was left bare. Soraya, Amin recalled, always had a fascination with the Christmas holidays, a trait that their son also shared. He wondered what traits he and Reza shared.

"Papa?" Reza called from inside. "You have a phone call."

"I'm coming," he replied, slowly walking through the door. He removed his scarf and placed it on the counter as he reached for the kitchen phone.

"His name is Amin." He heard Reza say softly from the study.

And as he picked up the phone, he realized that he had not heard the phone ring while he was outside.

"Hello?"

"Hello Amin? This is Dr. Carlotta Giudicelli at Talk Wave."

"Ah I see," he said gently scratching his beard. "I thought I took my information off of your list but-"

"No, I'm not a telemarketer," she chuckled. "I want to help. Your son called asking for advice on how you can get a new wife."

He blinked. "… _Who_ is this?"

"Dr. Carlotta Giudicelli," she said again slowly. "From Talk Wave Live and you're on the air-"

Reza peeked from the doorway and Amin turned to him. "You called a radio station?" he asked stupefied. Reza stepped back to hide behind the doorway once more.

"Amin?" Dr. Giudicelli called. "Amin are you still there?"

"…Uh, yes… Yes. Um-"

"Reza has told us that since your wife's death you've been very very unhappy," she said. "He's worried about you."

He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, the words settling into his brain. "Reza," he called sternly, but softly. "Come out here please." Reza slowly walked out into hallway, the other cordless phone to his ear.

"I think he's been having some trouble talking to you about this," she continued.

Amin tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowed and his green eyes concerned. _What is this?_ they asked. Reza mimicked his movements, his brown ones guilty and worried. _Please?_

"I was thinking," she continued again, "that we could talk about it together. I know it would make Reza feel a little better."

Amin sighed again, still unsure of how he ended up in this strange situation. _You've been in worse,_ he reminded himself.

"Please Papa, she's a doctor." Reza said confidently.

"Reza, this… This is..." Amin took a deep breath, searching for the right words… _This is crazy._

"Amin?" she called again. "Amin… It's his Christmas wish."

Amin looked at him incredulously this time. "Are you serious?" he whispered.

Reza merely shrugged in reply.

"We don't even-"

Amin exhaled a long and slow breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Unbelievable."

"Is that a yes Amin?"

Exasperated, he finally gave in and shrugged off his jacket. "Yes. Alright."

He sat on the couch and patted the seat next to him, signaling for Reza to join him. He ran over and hopped onto the couch, a wide grin on his face.

"Great," she said with a smile in her voice. Amin rolled his eyes slightly and then looked over at Reza.

"Christmas wish," he muttered softly, giving Reza a small noogie.

"Ahhh!"

Amin laughed softly and shook his head. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

" _I understand that this might be difficult. But how long has it been since your wife's death?"  
_ " _Almost two years,"_ he said, his smooth thick voice filling her car.  
" _And have you had any relationships since?"  
_ He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. _"...No"  
_ " _Why not?"_

"Sheesh."

" _Look… umm… Dr. Giudicelli-"  
_ " _Please, call me Dr. Carlotta."_

Christine and Amin scoffed simultaneously.

"Dr. Carlotta-"  
" _Dr. Carlotta,"_

…they said sarcastically. Christine narrowed her eyes curiously at the radio.

He continued, " _...I don't mean to be rude-"  
_ " _And I don't mean to intrude."_

"Sure you do."  
" _Sure you do."_

Christine eye's widened this time. Then she chuckled and smiled.

" _Please go on,"_ Dr. Carlotta urged gently.  
" _It's been tough on us both,"_ he said. _"But, we're working on it… And everything will be fine as soon as I_ _break_ _his_ _r_ _adio."  
_ Dr. Carlotta laughed, _"You know I can tell that_ _you're_ _a good father, and I'm certain you've been doing everything you can to make sure Reza is living a full and happy life_ _…_ _But something must be_ _wrong_ _if Reza is still_ _worried about you_ _."_

Christine hummed again, tilting her head to the side.

" _I have a few more questions,"_ Dr. Carlotta continued. _"Do you sleep at night?"  
_ There was a soft exhale. _"He doesn't sleep at all,"_ Reza responded.  
" _How do you know that?"_ asked Amin.  
" _I_ _hear your footsteps sometimes._ _"_

Amin took a deep breath before continuing.

 _"Soraya…_ _M_ _y wife_ _…_ _She_ _was our light_ _. She_ _gave us warmth and happiness._ _And now… i_ _t's like they've_ _gone with her. I try my bes_ _t, to fill in her shoes. But he needs_ _a_ _mother."  
_ " _Don't you think,_ you _need someone else as well?"_

There was a long pause and Christine inhaled slowly. A familiar ache began to throb softly.

"Yes," she whispered firmly.

" _Don't answer that," Dr. Carlotta said abruptly. "We're gonna take a quick break and we'll be right back after these messages. Amin and Reza, don't go away."_

* * *

"-If you've just tuned in, we're live with Sleepless in Seattle-"

Amin exhaled loudly, "What's happening now?"

"I think people are gonna call in and talk about us," Reza replied.

"Oh," he said. "Well, that should be fun."

"Thanks Papa."

"Hm?"

"For doing… this," he replied.

"Not like I had much of a choice," he teased, his face softening. "I love you Reza… But I was serious about the radio," he added as they shared a laugh.

Amin groaned gently as he reclined against the couch. An hour had passed by quickly, with most of the time taken up by listeners calling in to ask questions or give feedback. Reza lay asleep, his head on a pillow at his lap, the phone held tightly to his chest. Amin rubbed his back gently and switched phone positions for what seemed like the millionth time that evening.

"We're on the last few minutes of the show here Amin," she said. "You ready for the final questions?"

He chuckled. "If I say no will you let me go?"

* * *

Christine exited the highway as instructed by her phone's GPS, though purposely driving slower than usual.

" _They say_ _that people who have loved before, are more likely to love again. Do you think that will be true for you Amin? Do you think there maybe someone out there that you could love as much as your wife?"  
_ " _Well, Dr. Carlotta,"_ he said, _"There is the dream of someone else_ _\- a_ _small hope that exists in my heart. But I have to tell you, it's very hard to imagine."  
_ " _What are you gonna do?"  
_ " _I'm... going to wake up each morning. And breathe in and out. I'm going to live my life and make sure Reza knows I love him_ _e_ _very day."_

He paused and Christine's eyes watered. She felt his pain down to her fingertips. The grief. The sadness. The loneliness. It all came flooding to her, and there was nothing she could do to ease the pain, for him or herself.

" _And then,"_ he continued, _"Maybe one day I'll wake up, and I won't have to remind myself to breathe. To live. To love."_

The tears fell freely and unknowingly down Christine's cheeks as she pulled in front of the De Chagny residence. She couldn't leave now. Not until she heard it all.

" _Amin, tell us what made your wife so special."  
_ " _How long is your radio show?"_ he chuckled softly, the sound making her heart flutter. She sniffled softly.  
" _It was a countless number of little things_ _,"_ he continued. _"_ _Things that, felt like they were only meant for me. Like_ she _was only mea_ _nt for me. She made me feel like I belonged. Like I found my home._ _"_

She sniffed loudly as she held herself, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms.

" _And I knew it. I knew it from the very first time we touched…_ _I was taking her hand,_ _to_ _introduce myself. And I knew."_

Christine inhaled sharply.

" _It was like…"_

"Magic."  
" _Magic._ _"_

* * *

 _Note about the wedding dress -_ Google: Unique Eva Haynal Forsyth 1989 Wedding Dress

I'll probably post a link on my tumblr as well.


	2. Google

**A/N:** Sorry everyone, I've been sitting on these next two chapters for a while. Apologies! This chapter in particular is very Christine-heavy and was actually meant to be longer. But it ended up being too long lol So good news is, the next update will come sooner than later. * knock on wood * Lastly, for those who have watched the movie, fear not! I do plan on expanding past the movie quite a lot! This won't just be a huge slow burn I promise :)

* * *

Christine woke the next day and found herself in the lovely guest bedroom of the De Chagny home; though she also woke to find the space next to her empty. The room was themed in blues, the bed sheets covered in blue and white stripes and the curtains a dark blue. She had missed these details last night, pretty much knocking out as soon as her head hit the pillow. Lifting the covers, she sat up at the edge of the bed, warmth leaving her skin. Taking a deep breath, she stretched out her limbs; toes stroking the fluffy (also light blue) rug beside the bed.

 _Maybe one day I'll wake up, and I won't have to remind myself to breathe._

His voice, like honey, resounded in her ears and she could not help the goosebumps that trailed up her neck. Attempting to clear her mind, she glanced out the window from the bed. It was a bright yet dull Christmas morning, the sky covered with gray clouds, though illuminated by the sun beneath them. The gloom offered her a calming feeling; a welcoming safety. She got up slowly and walked up to the window, rubbing her arms up and down, and a gentle excitement blossomed in her chest _. Magic._

She took another deep breath, bringing herself back to her senses, and shook her head. Picking up her phone from the bedside table she checked the time. Nine o'clock - A little later than she would have liked. So she grabbed her bag of toiletries from her overnight bag and made her way towards the bathroom in the hallway. As she opened the door, the sounds of children opening presents downstairs echoed in the hallway, and a nostalgic excitement warmed her. After freshening up, she headed down the steps in her festive pajama set: cartoon drawings patterned throughout of wrapped gifts and dancing Santas on the bottoms, a long sleeve top with "Be Nice I Know Santa" written on the front, and fuzzy socks at her feet. She wondered if she looked _too_ festive.

Christine was instantly welcomed by the warm smell of pancakes and coffee as she entered the living room. There she found Raoul's sisters, Charlotte and Bernadette, with their husbands, Toby and Peter (respectively) helping their children open presents by the tree. (Six year old Julie, only child to Charlotte and Toby, four year old Jacob, son to Bernadette and Peter, and little one year old Tracy who snoozed away in Peter's arms.)

"Merry Christmas!" Christine said with a small wave.

"Merry Christmas!" the kids returned as they waved back excitedly (both dressed in cute fair isle onesies) while the adults greeted her good morning from their spots on the carpet. Christine gracefully made her way around the piles of wrapping paper to give them hugs.

"Last time I saw Raoul he was helping Mom in the kitchen," said Charlotte with a quick wink.

"Go quickly," added Bernadette, "Or the kids won't let you leave until they show you _every_ present they got."

Christine laughed softly, "Thanks, you guys need anything?"

"Nah we're good," replied Charlotte. "Go ahead!"

Giving one final wave to the kids, she made her way to the kitchen, the scent of pancakes and warm maple syrup becoming more apparent. She found Mrs. De Chagny at the stove, a cute festive apron around her waist and piles of pancakes keeping warm on the island counter.

"Good morning and Merry Christmas!" said Christine.

"Good morning Christine! Merry Christmas!" Mrs. De Chagny replied as she went in for a hug.

"Is there anything I can help out with?"

"Oh thank you, but I'm pretty much done here! The boys helped me this morning which was nice. But unfortunately there is only one griddle," she chuckled as she wiped the counter. "I'm so glad you guys made it down alright though! I hope the drive wasn't too bad."

Christine felt a blush spread over her cheeks as she swallowed a nervous chuckle. "No, no. Not at all," she smiled.

 _I was just moved to tears by a man on the radio with a sultry voice._

Christine cleared her throat. "Speaking of the boys, I haven't seen them yet this morning."

"Oh they're out in the back with their father," she replied. "Actually, would you mind calling them in for breakfast? I'll get the kids in the living room."

"Sure!"

Christine walked out of the kitchen and back into the hallway towards the patio. As she opened the door she realized her outfit would not be warm enough to shield her from the cold, even if the patio was screened in, so she stuck her head out to survey the area. Sitting around the electric fireplace was Raoul, Mr. DeCagny, and Raoul's older brother, Philippe - All sans festive pajamas.

"Merry Christmas everyone! Breakfast is ready!" she called out.

"Christine!" Philippe called out as he got up to greet her, Raoul and Mr. De Chagny following behind. "Merry Christmas! I'm so glad you came down!"

"Me too!" she said ignoring the cold as she stepped onto the patio to hug him. "Sorry I woke up late."

"Not late at all," said Mr. De Chagny as he came in for a hug. "I was able to steal Raoul for a little to talk about some business. Wouldn't have wanted to bore you in the process."

"Morning honey," Raoul said, greeting her with a kiss before turning to his brother. "Well, I'll let you and Dad finished things here. Christine and I will go help Mom."

"Alright, we won't be long," Mr. De Chagny said as he patted Raoul on the back.

Once inside, Raoul went in for his own hug, the heat from the electric fireplace warming her. "Nice pajamas."

She swatted at him playfully. "Why didn't you wake me?" she whispered.

"You slept like the dead last night," he laughed as they made their way towards the kitchen. "I didn't get to ask, how was the drive? Did you have any trouble on the way?"

"No, I- I was feeling a bit sleepy," she paused. "So I bought a cup of tea on the way and double checked the presents in the back. To make sure nothing was missing." She could feel her blush creep up again. "Anyways, should I change?"

"No! Don't be silly," he chuckled as he kissed her temple. "You look adorable."

"Adorable-y silly," she said rubbing her arms. The motion caused the feeling in her chest to return. She dropped her arms abruptly.

Raoul paused slightly before entering the kitchen. "You ready to tell them the news?" he asked excitedly.

Christine smiled and took a deep breath. "Of course."

* * *

That afternoon, the De Chagny household prepared for their annual Christmas hike through Rock Creek two children were bundled up downstairs, their parents helping them into their boots, and Mr. and Mrs. De Chagny were in the kitchen packing up some goodies to bring with them. Christine, however, brought her things downstairs as she prepared to drive back to Baltimore.

"Do you really have to go?" Raoul asked as she checked her belongings.

"I'm sorry honey," she said, squeezing his hand gently. "I'd stay, but I have early rehearsals tomorrow. And I don't wanna catch any traffic."

"I know," he said with his puppy dog eyes. "I just thought maybe you'd change your mind."

"Drive safe dear," said Mr. De Chagny as he reached over to hug her goodbye. "You definitely need to join us next year!"

"Of course!" Christine said, returning the embrace. "Thank you so so much for having me! I'm sorry the visit was so short."

"Not at all - I'm glad you came and I hope you enjoyed yourself!" Mrs. De Chagny replied hugging her as well. "Here," she continued, handing her a warm thermos, "For the trip back."

"Oh you're too kind," said Christine.

"I'll walk you to the car," Raoul said grabbing her bags, his other hand reaching for hers.

"Bye Christine!" Charlotte called out from the kitchen. "Take care!" Toby added waving goodbye.

"We'll see you at New Year's!" Bernadette called out as well, the children on her heels also waving back. "Drive safe!" her husband Peter added, waving little Tracy's hand in the air.

"Have fun everyone! See you later!" Christine replied waving back from the doorway.

The cool air surrounded her immediately as she stepped outside, her cheeks and nose already stinging from the cold. Yet her hand kept warm in Raoul's.

"See that wasn't so bad was it?" Raoul asked as they approached her car.

"Yeah I know," she said fishing for her car fob in her coat pocket. The car gave a satisfying _whoop whoop_ as she unlocked it. "Your family is incredibly sweet."

"Soon they'll be your family too," he said tenderly before opening the passenger door to put her bags away. "Just one more thing though."

"Mhm?"

"I know we said no gifts this year but," He slowly turned around to face her, a small box in his hand. "Now that everyone knows…"

He opened it to reveal a lovely three stone diamond ring with a square cut in the middle, and Christine inhaled sharply at the sight. The ring glistened even in the dull sunlight, simple and elegant.

"Raoul," Christine said softly.

"I thought maybe I could share this with you later," he said holding his hand out for hers. Her hand followed unconsciously, appearing before she realized she had placed it in his. "But I don't want you to go without it," he said slipping the ring onto her finger.

"Raoul," she said again as she admired her newly accessorized hand. "It's beautiful. I'm…" She chuckled softly. "I'm literally speechless. I love it," she said finally.

"I love you," he replied softly.

"And I love you," she returned, kissing him softly.

* * *

The roads were clear on the drive back, and Christine was thankful for it as she sipped the warm hot cocoa from the thermos. It was only halfway through the drive when she looked down at the radio for what seemed like the hundredth time. All the stations had been put on autopilot with the same holiday songs playing on the radio while Talk Wave Live aired some pre-recorded podcast on classic radio dramas. Eventually she turned off the sound system to clear her mind - only to inevitably follow her wandering thoughts.

It was almost ridiculous - no - absolutely ridiculous how affected she was by the radio program last night. Though she just wasn't able to put the man and his son past her. Long forgotten feelings of grief and loneliness had resurfaced, and over and over again, she heard his soft, sad voice in her mind.

But what Christine was most astounded by, and what she was most frightened by, was how she had reacted to his deep confession of love for his past wife. A love she somehow felt and connected with. Though the picture of it, of the _magic_ , was not clear in her mind.

What was it about _this_ man? She wouldn't allowed the idea surface completely, but there was a deep longing to hear his voice again. To hear his pain. To hear his love. But what was she doing, wanting to hear a complete stranger's voice? What did she think would happen?

And why did she lie earlier?

She barely hesitated to, when Raoul asked her about the drive. She could have told him the truth. _There was a man on the radio last night that shook me to the core. I can't get him out of my head._ She looked at the ring on her finger and shook her head gently. Although she planned on leaving after breakfast, she could have stayed for the hike. There was no immediate rush to get back home. Yet, here she was in her car.

The confusion and uncertainty were maddening; she needed to get her head straight at home.

Soon enough, she arrived at her little studio apartment on the outskirts of Baltimore. As she walked through the door she turned on the lights, hung up her keys, and tossed her bags on the couch. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, then looked over at her dining table. There sat her Macbook, just as she had left it Christmas Eve. She raised her chin slightly as she approached it, taking long, confident strides towards it. Then she opened it quickly, as if ripping off a band-aid, only to find it dead.

Her muscles relaxed as she huffed slightly and reached for the charger. After plugging it in she hurried over to her neglected bags and began to unpack - she had never been so eager to unpack before in her life. When she found she no longer had anything else to put away, she grabbed the empty thermos and washed it in the sink. Finally, she approached the laptop again, this time successfully turning it on. The starting chime excited her as she logged in and let the computer wake up.

"A snack then," she proclaimed.

Grabbing the granny smith apple from the fruit bowl, she walked back into the kitchen to grab a knife. She begged herself to take her time as she peeled the apple skin into one long curly strip, though her heart begged to differ as it upped it's tempo. Clumsily, she cut the apple into wedges and placed them on a small plate. Finally, she grabbed the almond butter from the pantry and made towards the dining table once more.

She sat bravely in front of the device, humming a tune as she slowly slathered the almond butter onto each slice, trying very hard, for some reason, to be as nonchalant as possible. Using her pinky, she opened the Google Chrome browser, and the homepage opened up to the Google search page, the blinking line in the search bar beckoning for her attention. She licked the almond butter off of her fingers as she quickly contemplated her search words of choice.

 _Reza Amin talk wave live_

Christine inhaled quickly as the search results populated.

"Eight year old's Christmas wish ties up phone lines in the Greater Chicago area…"

She clicked the first result faster than she would have liked to admit. She skimmed through it quickly, scanning for their names. Unfortunately, the article only touched on the actual event, with no real information about the show or Amin or Reza. Disappointed, she clicked back to the search results.

"Talk wave live celebrates its 25th anniversary…" _No._

"Dr. Carlotta Giudicelli, hosts Christmas radio show…" Click.

Christine continued to hum as she scanned the article, feeling like an odd detective. It was a blog entry from Dr. Carlotta, reminding her listeners that she would be hosting that night. Christine unenthusiastically stuffed an apple wedge in her mouth as she started another search.

 _Amin Reza Seattle_

She cringed at the "Who is Sleepless in Seattle?" Yahoo! Ask but still opened it out of curiosity. No answers of course.

"#SleeplessInSeattle - Trending on Twitter"

Christine clicked quickly, only to find she had to create an actual twitter account to continue. Christine closed the tab exasperated.

 _I'm not_ that _desperate._

"Find people and public records" hits came up, as well as "property values of homes in Seattle", and a " Rate My Professor" page; but no other interesting hits came up. And nothing about the show. She was almost tempted to click the Images search tab.

 _Maybe we can try YouTube?_

"Ugh no!" she said closing the laptop suddenly. She was starting to feel very foolish.

"I need tea."

As she filled her electric kettle, she turned the Smart TV on to Netflix. Scrolling through her list, she decided on her favorite - _The Great British Baking Show_. Fighting her inner dialogue, she turned the kettle on and started an episode. _Maybe try tomorrow?_ it asked.

"No, no. Stop," she said, shaking her head.

She prepared her mug and sighed heavily. _This is crazy and I feel really dumb. You could be with Raoul right now, but instead you're googling a stranger. A stranger, Christine._

"A nice sounding stranger," she argued weakly. The kettle beeped for her attention and cut her thoughts short. She poured the hot water into her mug, hoping the tea would calm her.

 _What are you doing?_

She sat down on the couch bringing the tea and apples with her, hoping to get lost in the show. As expected, she was not able to let go of the strange situation and she sighed defeatedly into her mug. Pondering at the question she asked herself earlier, she placed the now empty mug on the end table and brought her knees up, wrapping her arms around her legs.

What was she doing indeed. Her mind was tired of the back and forth. Tired and disappointed, she placed her head on her knees and prayed tomorrow would be more forgiving.

* * *

Christine walked into the back dressing area of the theater to find it filled with idle chatter and busy bodies as per usual. The noise and bustle around her gave her comfort, and she took a moment to take in the sight. She noticed Meg at their usual spot in the back, huddled in a circle of people as she made her way over.

"Morning Meg," she greeted.

"Hey! Morning!" Meg replied, turning to face her. "How was the- Oh my god!"

Meg grabbed her hand before she could even set her things down and began to inspect the object of her surprise - the engagement ring. She was unsure whether it was Meg's natural tendency to notice things that brought her attention to it, or if she simply lacked the skill of subtly. Though Christine would be lying if she said she had forgotten all about it; the weight it left on her finger felt heavier than the guilt pit in her stomach. She had never been more conscious of an accessory before in her life.

"Where was this on Friday?!" Meg nearly squeaked.

"He gave it to me yesterday," she replied with a soft smile.

"Well I'm glad he didn't cheap out."

"Meg!" she chuckled.

"...Just saying."

"Anyways," Christine said, gently prying Meg's fingers away to grab her water bottle. "What's with the laptop?" She pointed her chin out towards the corner where Meg and some of the other ensemble members were previously huddled around.

"Oh, you didn't hear? Apparently there's this viral story about a kid who called a radio station on Christmas Eve."

Christine nearly choked. "Oh?"

"We were just reading this live tweet session about it. It's hilarious!"

Christine suddenly wished she had made a twitter account.

"Um, actually, I think heard that on the way to D.C."

"Are you serious?! Oh my god was it as sappy as the lady said? Apparently there's a hashtag going on, #FindAmin," she laughed. "Women and Men all over the damn country are trying to find the guy."

"Mhmm," she said, hiding her reactions behind her water bottle.

"It's crazy! What if the guy is a psychopath? Like this guy could legit be a serial killer."

"I mean, he didn't sound _too_ bad," she said as she started her stretches.

"Pfff I'll have to hear it for myself, cause apparently people are _petitioning_ for them to release the audio."

"Really?" she asked almost too quickly. "Well that would be nice," she tried again nonchalantly.

"Oh?"

There was a pause, and Christine looked over at Meg, whose head was tilted in curiosity.

" _Oh?_ " Meg said again coyly, scanning her face. "It would be… Nice?"

Christine turned away quickly. "Meg stop, it was just interesting hearing him talk about his wife."

"Oh _really?_ And does Raoul know?"

"Does Raoul know what?"

"Did you talk to him about _Sleepless in Seattle."_

"No, but it was really late when I got there and-"

"Mhm."

"Meg-"

"Okay people let's go!" Paul, the artistic director, called out. "We've got today and half of tomorrow until we perform!" Everyone began moving towards the doorway and Christine wasn't sure if she was grateful for the distraction or not.

"Okay, well we'll talk about it later," said Meg with a smile.

"Meg, there's nothing to talk about-"

"Okay, okay. We'll talk about _nothing_ later then," she called out as she hurried out towards the hallway.

Christine sighed exasperated as she followed behind.

Rehearsals went on as usual, though there seemed to be more instruction and criticism coming from the artistic director than usual. The mood of rehearsals that morning was very "sluggish" and it was very clear that the majority of the ensemble were not happy to there the day after Christmas. Thankfully Christine had previously performed in a production of _Guys and Dolls,_ so her lack of attention helped to ease her muddled brain.

Soon enough lunch time rolled around, and while Christine was thankful for the break, she dreaded Meg's promise of discussion. She wanted to confide in her, but the guilt and shame of the whole seemingly ridiculous situation made her anxious to think, let alone talk, about it; even if she was her best friend.

"So, you staying at Raoul's place for New Year's this year right?"

Christine looked up quickly, breaking away from her train of thought. "Yeah, his dad is having a huge party."

"Let me guess: family, friends, and business associates?"

"Pretty much," Christine replied taking a bite out of her sandwich.

"Oh fun," Meg said dryly, and Christine smiled as she nudged her.

"So… How's life?" Meg continued.

"Good," Christine replied, testing the waters. Instead, a heavy silence fell between them that seemed to last forever. When Christine peeked over, Meg began humming softly as she inspected her banana. Christine took a deep breath and mentally braced herself.

"Meg," she said suddenly serious. "You can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

"God, finally," she said turning fully towards her. "I thought I was gonna have to beat it out of you."

"Meg do you promise?"

"When have I ever let you down?"

"Nathaniel Gonzalez, 5th grade."

"Seriously!?"

Christine held Meg's hand and squeezed gently. "Okay no, but seriously swear to me."

"I _swear_ , Christine," she said squeezing her hands back. "Now tell me!"

Christine a took a dramatically deep breath and paused before answering.

"I cried."

"What? When?" she asked concerned.

"The other night when I heard the radio program."

"What?!"

"I couldn't help it. It was like he was speaking to my soul!" She covered her face with her hands.

"Oh my god you're serious."

"I've been thinking about it since it happened and I feel like a lunatic," she moaned. "Im sorry, I just- I haven't talked to anyone about it."

"You know you can always talk to me! I wouldn't have made fun of it this morning if I had known silly," she said as she retrieved Christine's hands to rest in hers. "Come on, out with it."

Christine paused a moment to collect her thoughts. "Well I was pulled in the moment the guy's son, Reza, called in worried about his dad. I had already been thinking about Papa that evening so..."

"Of course."

"And then the guy, Amin, got on the phone and he just sounded so sweet and genuine." Christine's heart warmed just recalling the moment. "And the way he talked about loss and his wife and how much he loved his son- I just started crying!"

"Oh Christine."

"I sat in my car and parked in front of Raoul's parent's house until the show finished." She rubbed away the goosebumps on her arms before continuing. "I thought maybe it was just the wine but, I was thinking about it nearly all day yesterday too."

"Definitely not just wine, you've got goosebumps," Meg noted, worry in her eyes. "What are you gonna do?"

"There's nothing I _can_ do," she replied softly. Suddenly she shut her eyes tightly, furrowing her brows. "And I love Raoul."

Meg snorted out a laugh, "I didn't ask if you love Raoul!"

Christine grimaced slightly. "I lied to him about it."

Meg gasped dramatically. "You _lied_? To _Raoul_?"

Christine sighed and closed her eyes again. "We both left Mama Valerius' house at the same time, but I arrived like 10 minutes after him. When he asked about the drive I…" Christine couldn't help but grimace again. "I came up with some BS about how I stopped by a 7-Eleven for tea."

"Scandalous," Meg teased.

"I feel so stupid. I just wanna forget it happened."

"Listen, according to Twitter they'll be releasing the audio tonight," Meg said checking her phone. "I'll take a listen and see for myself - you know how cynical I am."

"I almost wish you wouldn't but I honestly also want your opinion."

"I'm just worried that he's some weird psychopath. Like what if there is no son? What if _he's_ the son! Or what if he's a useless perv like my ex, Greg?"

Christine laughed. "Maybe _I'm_ crazy."

"Maybe you are. But I am here for you all the way okay? Now let's get back."

"Alright," Christine said defeatedly as she gathered her things. "What did you ever see in Greg anyway?"

"God, let's just focus on one person's indiscretions today alright?"

* * *

Christine sluggishly walked through the door, hung her keys up, and plopped herself onto the couch. The artistic director worked them even harder after their lunch break and she regretted not practicing or exercising during the small Christmas break. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she had half a mind to sink into the couch and let sleep take her. After it buzzed again she lazily reached for it to check her messages - Two texts from Meg.

 _The audio will be up in 10 mins! Wanna listen with?_

 _Also, I made you a twitter account :P_

 _U: OneDaaeAtATime PW:N thanG0nzalezsux_

Christine laughed as her heart skipped a beat, suddenly excited at the thought of listening to the audio again. She chuckled as she replied to Meg.

 _Give me 5 minutes to boot up the old laptop - I can't wait to see my account_ :face_palm:

She rushed over to her laptop (which she made sure to leave plugged in and ready to go before leaving that morning) and opened up the Chrome browser. From the Messages App she clicked the link that Meg shared which led her to the Twitter login page. She carefully typed in the username and password so gracefully thought out by Meg and logged in, making a mental note to change the password as she was redirected to a tweet.

 _Due to popular demand, the "Sleepless in Seattle" portion of our Christmas Eve program will be available at 9 PM EST! #SleeplessInSeattle #FindAmin #TalkWaveLive_

With several minutes to spare, Christine admired Meg's work with the account. She recognized her profile picture which was taken last Halloween; she dressed up as an angel while Meg posed behind her as a devil. Her profile read: "Singer, Actress, and Foodie ;)" and so far she was only following Meg, TalkLive Radio, and Dr. Carlotta.

 _I looooove all the work you put into this,_ she texted Meg.

Another text notification popped up on her screen, only this time it was Raoul. Suddenly, Christine's stomach dropped and she felt her cheeks burn from the guilt.

 _Hey honey! Barely leaving, there's tons of traffic :( Catch you tomorrow for dinner?_

 _Sleep tight when you do, love you!_

Another ping followed with Meg's reply, _I knew you'd appreciate it lol One more minute girl!_

Christine took a deep breath and shook her head. Here she was again, in front of her laptop, feeling guilty and confused. Her body twitched with restlessness and she knew she no longer was in the mood for any type of emotion. Saddened, she replied to Meg first.

 _Sorry, WiFi is being slow and my body is tired lol Lemme know what you think later!_

Then she replied to Raoul, _Dinner sounds good! Drive safe!_ she paused slightly before continuing, _Lemme know when you get home!_

She closed her laptop slowly and plopped herself back onto the couch. Another buzz from her phone followed and she hesitated slightly before looking at the message - a reply from Meg.

 _Ooookaaaaayy, get lots of rest! I have a feeling we'll have lots to talk about tomorrow heh 3_

Christine groaned as her embarrassment rose. For the past two days she had been running on emotional fumes, and she hadn't thought or felt this much in very long time. She flung her phone to the other side of the couch and buried her face into the cushions, hoping she could _magically_ forget this whole thing happened.


	3. New Year

Sorry everyone! Had a mini vacation in NYC and then got sick as soon as I came back -_- But here we are with chapter 3! We meet an old friend towards the end :)

 **New Year**

"Did you know you're famous all over Twitter, Papa?"

Amin nearly choked on his spoonful of cereal before replying. "Reza, are you old enough to have a Twitter?"

"No, but Jamie has one and you've been trending since Christmas," he replied as he slurped the last of his Cocoa Pebbles.

"Well I doubt _she's_ old enough to have one."

Reza wiped his face with a napkin before replying. "She has a phone."

"Well that's nice," Amin said walking over to the sink to wash his bowl. "But you and little Jamie really shouldn't be on social media."

"But how else am I going to keep up with our fans from the radio show? Or potential wives?"

Amin let out a tired sigh. "Reza bring your bowl up please, we're going to be late."

"Jamie says most of them are weird," Reza continued, bringing his bowl to the sink, "But there are _some_ interesting ones."

"I'm not finding a wife off of the internet."

"Why not? One in five couples meet online."

Amin laughed at that. "Well, we'll just have to see won't we."

"So are you gonna make a Twitter account?"

"No."

"Can _I_ make you one?"

"No, you may not. And neither can Jamie. And please, _please_ do not interact with these people online, or I'll have to talk to Jamie's parents."

"But-"

"No buts! Now come on, please get your things," he said grabbing his coat and briefcase.

Reza released a dramatic sigh as he gathered his jacket and backpack from the table. Amin couldn't help the chuckle that escaped as Reza slowly walked out the door.

As he locked the door he said a silent prayer, hoping the whole thing would blow over quickly.

* * *

Christine knew when she woke up the next morning that something was terribly wrong.

The sun, though still dull from the winter sky, shone brightly through the window, blinding her as she opened her eyes. She jolted awake with panic and frantically searched for her phone beneath the pillows. Finally she found it and saw that not only did she forget to set her alarm, now making her 30 minutes late, she also saw 50+ text message notifications from Meg. She quickly tossed her phone aside and made her way to the bathroom making a mental note to read them later.

After taking the quickest shower of her life (possibly the coldest as well), she changed just as quickly and grabbed a couple of bananas, her coat, her phone, and her bag and rushed through the door to drive to the theater. Although her posture in the driver's seat was not the best for warming up, she tried her best to do some vocal exercises on the way. And when that failed, she clumsily inhaled the two bananas she brought with her.

She arrived in record time and hurried into the theater, nearly tripping into the dressing area to put her belongings away. As she approached the wings she saw that they were only in the beginning of the first act. Relieved, she released a deep sigh and mumbled a silent thanks as she began stretching in place.

"Christine!" a voice whispered loudly. She turned to find Meg approaching.

"Hey, what did I miss?" Christine whispered back.

"Oh my god, where were you? Are you okay?" she replied.

"I'm fine," Christine said as she continued stretching. "I didn't set my alarm and I completely knocked out last night."

"Well you're lucky Paul decided to have a 20 minute speech before we started. You only missed the first 'Follow the Fold'. Did you even read my texts?"

"I didn't have time, but Jesus Christ Meg, 58 texts? Really?"

"I was trying to give you a live play-by-play- Oh crap, Adelaide's first entrance is coming up, I gotta go. We'll talk at lunch."

Christine sighed again as she rolled her neck out.

Luckily, she had a few minutes before the second "Follow the Fold" march started, so she whipped out her phone and quickly looked through Meg's texts. As suspected, Meg had gone through a similar journey while listening to the show. She started off with _Alright, the kid is cute_ then followed with _Girl, ok this man's voice tho holy shit._ And after the remaining similar texts she finished with _Omfg I can't believe I'm crying rn. We gotta talk tomorrow._

Throughout rehearsals, Christine found that she was once again bracing herself for the inevitable conversation with Meg. The anticipation this time around was a lot to bear, especially since they needed to run the whole show before lunch. Thankfully, aside from singing, her character "Agatha" had very few lines, so it was not difficult for her to focus. Though she had to try her best to not get emotional when "I'll Know" came on. And she had to try even harder during "Marry the Man Today".

After what seemed like a lifetime, rehearsals finally ended - though not without Paul giving another 20 minute closing speech. A collective sigh of relief hummed in the air when they were informed that they were not required to return to the theater until a few hours before the performance. Christine's stomach nearly growled in thanks as she and Meg made their way to the dressing room to change. They decided to head to a local diner near the theater for lunch.

When they arrived, they sat in a worn out leather booth by the window, grateful that no one else from the company had the same idea. The waitress quickly took their drink orders and left them to look at the rest of the menu.

Christine folded her arms over the table and sighed before beginning the conversation. "So, I read your texts."

Meg looked up from the menu with a giddy look in her eyes. "We're just gonna cut to the chase huh?"

"I can't help it, I've been anxious all morning!"

Meg cleared her throat almost triumphantly. "Well for starters," she said, setting aside the menu, "Hopefully I haven't become biased because of you. But I think Reza is adorable and… it didn't seem like Amin was a _complete_ lunatic."

"And his story?" Christine asked. "Do you think it was fake? Am I crazy?"

"No, it was very compelling. I told you I cried a bit! And you are not crazy for having emotions silly!"

Christine released another long sigh as she fidgeted with her paper napkin. "I'm both relieved and worried. I was hoping you'd tell me I was crazy so I could forget about the whole thing."

"You know me, I would never lie to you. Though, I am a bit worried." Meg paused and Christine shifted her attention back to her. "You seem overly invested in this - what has you shaken up so badly?"

Christine was faced with the same question she had been asking herself the past two days. And although she thought she knew the answer, she had never fully admitted it. But she knew if she never let it out, it would fester in her soul until it ate it away. Before she could open her mouth to answer, the waitress came back with their drinks.

"Ladies, what can I get you?"

"I'll have the soup of the day with a small side of chicken caesar salad," replied Meg.

"That sounds good, I'll have the same please," added Christine.

"Perfect, I'll be right back with those!"

As the waitress walked away, Christine looked over at Meg who maintained her quizzical brow. Her question still lingered in the air, and Christine begged herself to answer it before the moment passed.

"You know how Mama Valerius brought me up to the attic after dinner Christmas Eve?" she started. Meg nodded and she continued, "While we were up there, she told me the story of how she and Papa Valerius met. And she talked about signs and hand holding and magic… and it dawned on me then, that I didn't quite connect to what she was saying."

"What _was_ she saying?"

"That when they met, she knew it was _destiny_. And that then and there, she knew they would be together. _Forever_." Christine sighed before continuing. "And I felt like a phony, because I didn't feel the same in that moment - like I couldn't relate. I haven't been able to recall a solid moment like that with Raoul since that night."

"Okay," Meg said encouragingly.

"And I didn't mention this to anyone else but, I tried on her old wedding dress and… it ripped."

"Oooh," Meg replied with a grimace.

"Yeah I know," she continued, "So you can only imagine how I felt afterwards. And then on the way to D.C. the radio show came on and Reza was talking about his mother, and I was instantly emotionally invested because I had already been missing Papa that night."

"Right."

"And then Amin came on and started telling his story and… God, Meg his voice filled my car. It was like… It was like I became a sponge, soaking up all of his emotions. I hung onto every word he said and how he said it. Then when he talked about how he met his wife and how he knew, just like Mama Valerius knew, I was suddenly overcome with emotion. And all the feelings I wanted to feel up in the attic with Mama Valerius - and the feelings I want to feel when I think about Raoul - suddenly surfaced," she choked.

Meg paused a moment, realizing what she meant. "You mean?"

"Magic."  
"Magic?"

Christine groaned and buried her face into her folded arms as Meg gasped. "Oh Christine."

"I'm crazy Meg," she said muffled.

"No, no-"

"I just don't know what to do with these… these feelings!" Christine said as she lifted her head. "God, I feel so foolish. Please tell me it's all just a coincidence and that the radio show was just bad timing and that I created all of these feelings from a moment of self-doubt."

"Well… Do you have doubts?" Meg asked.

Christine herself had been avoiding this question entirely. And now that it was placed in front of her, she was afraid of what her answer would be.

"I didn't think I did," she started. "But sometimes I wonder, what if I've always had doubt but never fully realized it? Like, what if I've just been complacent?"

Meg hummed in response as Christine continued.

"And _then_ I think - 'But I love Raoul and I'm happy!'" she said exasperated.

Meg gave her a slow, unconvincing nod, humming again.

"This is just crazy," Christine continued as she shook her head. "I can't fall for someone's love story let alone their VOICE." The waitress who had come back with their order stepped back in surprise at Christine's raised voice. She awkwardly placed the plates in front of them as Christine apologized pitifully.

"Christine," Meg replied softly when the waitress left, "What are you gonna do?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that," she said as she stabbed her fork into the salad.

"Well," Meg said, thoughtfully stirring her soup around, "Maybe, listen to the audio one more time and-"

"No, no I really don't think-"

"Wait, just hear me out for a second," Meg replied as she reached out for Christine's hand. "Just listen to it one more time. It doesn't have to be today, or even tomorrow. Just whenever you're ready. Listen to it, and then figure out what you need to do."

Christine closed her eyes and shook her head gently. "I'm scared."

"I know, and I know you feel crazy, but… God I hope I don't regret saying this." Christine looked up at Meg curiously as she continued, "As strange as this sounds, this doesn't seem... wrong? If that makes sense."

Christine paused for a moment and then chuckled. "Nothing you do feels wrong to you Meg."

Meg slowly narrowed her eyes as her mouth gaped open. "Woooooooow."

"I'm just kidding," she laughed, taking a taste of the creamy potato soup. Meg took a stab at her own salad.

"Mhmmmm," she replied. "Eat your soup before I kick you- I mean, before it gets cold."

Christine laughed again, and this time Meg joined her.

"No but seriously," Meg said gently. "Take a listen, or else you'll go mad."

* * *

The performance that night, and the nights following, went by fantastically - which kept Christine very busy (or so she told herself). Raoul brought her a small box of her favorite chocolates after the first performance, and continued to be sweet and doting. He spent every evening he could with her and everything seemed to fall back into place. Meg never brought up the radio show again after their talk at the diner. And while Christine was grateful for it, she also wished she could completely forget about it. But as Meg predicted, it continued to whisper gently in the back of her mind, reminding her everyday of its existence.

After five straight days of performances, Christine was able to enjoy New Year's Eve off. That is, she _tried_ her best to enjoy her day off. She started the day with a lovely breakfast, went to the gym (which was surprisingly busy), got some groceries and drinks for the party that evening, and even treated herself to a mani/pedi. By the time she got home (and after running all the errands she possibly could) she still had a handful of hours to kill before Raoul picked her up that evening.

Still, she couldn't bring herself to open the link that Meg had sent her almost 5 days ago.

So she continued to busy herself while at home. She popped on a show while she packed an overnight bag, making sure to take her time - she was sure she had never watched a TV show so diligently in her life. Afterwards, she took a long, warm bubble bath and even treated herself to a glass of wine while she did. Finally, she did her hair and makeup and donned her new lacey blue cocktail dress for that night, allowing herself to admire her look in the mirror. Yet when she finally glanced at the clock, she was disappointed to see that she still had an hour left. She looked over at her laptop curiously.

Before she knew it, she was opening up Twitter and looking through the #FindAmin hashtag.

Of course, nothing too exciting had popped up, just several tweets from some _very_ curious people. As she scrolled down, a wall of selfies loaded onto the page, and she cringed as she saw several people hashtag their tweet, #WifeMaterial. Scrolling down further, she saw that TalkWaveLive had sent out a tweet encouraging listeners to send any fan mail their way. Then finally, the tweet leading to the show audio link appeared. Christine hovered her mouse over the link and stared, contemplating her next move.

Suddenly her phone buzzed loudly and she let out a small yelp.

Picking up her phone she saw that it was Raoul. She took a deep calming breath before answering. "Hi, hon."

" _Hey good news! I got off earlier than expected. I'll be there in ten minutes!"_

"Oh! Oh, that's great!" she said laughing weakly.

" _No worries though if you still need to get ready. You can take your time and I can just wait upstairs-"_

"Oh thanks, but no need!" she said closing her laptop violently. "I also got ready earlier than expected."

" _Oh good! I'll see you in a few then honey."_

"Okay, see you soon."

" _Love you!"_

"Love you, bye."

As soon as Christine hung up, her head tilted back as she released a suppressed groan. "Oh my god."

As she got up to gather her things she looked back at her now closed laptop and shook her head gently. She begged herself to pull it together.

* * *

"It's Uncle Darius!"

Reza grabbed the iPad off the end table to answer the FaceTime call.

"Oh that's right it's almost midnight over there," Amin replied. "Go ahead and answer, I'll get more snacks."

Reza accepted the call and stretched his arms out to get a good view of himself. Amin chuckled as he filled a bowl with chips.

" _Hey Reza!"_

"Hi Uncle Darius! Hi Auntie Neda!"

" _Dana look! Say 'Hi' to Reza and Uncle Amin!"_ Neda said, pointing towards the direction the camera. Her daughter wiggled happily in her lap.

"Hi Dana!" Reza said, waving excitedly at the screen. He was rewarded with a bubbly laugh.

" _You guys having fun over there?"_ Darius asked.

"Yeah! We're playing Monopoly," he said switching to the back camera, displaying the messy board game on the coffee table. "And Papa's getting more chips!" he continued, turning around and pointing the iPad towards the kitchen. Amin waved as he made his way back to the living room, joining Reza again on the couch.

"How's the weather treating you guys? Is it cold over there in Virginia Beach?" Amin asked.

" _Oh, not too bad. A bit cold but it's beautiful!"_ Darius replied.

" _We wish you guys were here! Though I don't know where we'd all fit. Darius has_ a lot _of cousins,"_ Neda laughed.

"Ah, don't worry about us. It's only fair you be with them this year. We can try again next year," said Amin.

"Maybe next year I'll have a new Mom to join us too!" Reza said, stuffing chips into his mouth. Amin closed his eyes slowly, and let out a long sigh.

" _Ohhh, did Papa find a girlfriend?"_ Neda asked excitedly.

"No, but I called a radio show and now there's a bunch of people who want to date him and-"

"Reza please-"

" _I knew it! That was you two wasn't it!?"_ Darius exclaimed. _"Sorry honey you owe me $10."_

" _Oh Reza I heard that! That was very sweet of you,"_ Neda added, completely ignoring Darius. _"Amin, the show went viral! You could very well meet someone online."_

"That's what _I_ told him!" replied Reza.

"Guys- " Amin was cut off by a cheering crowd in the background.

" _Oh! The countdown started! Amin, we'll talk when I get back,"_ Darius said with a wink.

 _10… 9… 8…_

" _We can't wait to hear all about it!"_ Neda said bouncing Dana in her arms.

"4… 3… 2… 1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Reza yelled.

Through the screen they could see fireworks in the sky and they watched as Darius kissed both his girls. The lovely family turned back to the camera covered in confetti and alternating colors of light as they waved goodbye. " _Love you guys! See you soon!"_

"Love you too! Bye!" Reza said waving back.

"Love you, have a safe flight back," said Amin.

The call ended and Amin sighed in relief. He wasn't surprised that he would eventually have to tell them about the show, but the fact that they knew before they told him, and through social media of all things, made him a little more worried. He didn't want his comfortable, lonely life, to change. At least he didn't think he did.

"Is there more pizza Papa?"

"I think so. You might fall into a food coma though. Don't wanna miss the ball drop do you?"

"I won't fall asleep," he said confidently. "And I'll win at Monopoly too!"

"If you say so," Amin chuckled.

"Papa? Why are there different time zones? What makes time go faster in other places?"

"Well," Amin started, "It's not necessarily that time goes faster… Actually, this is a good question for the 'Later Jar'. Wanna put it in?"

"Okay!" Reza rushed towards the kitchen counter and wrote down his question on the small notepad beside the gallon sized jar. He tore off the paper and folded it up before dropping it in. "I hope we get to some of these before I start school again."

"Me too," said Amin. "Now hurry up so I can win."

"No way José!"

* * *

Christine sipped the rest of her now lukewarm champagne and placed the empty glass on a tray as a server walked by.

It didn't take long for Raoul to get swept up into business conversations with his father and brother. Even his brother-in-law Peter, a business lawyer, joined them, leaving Christine to mingle with Charlotte, Toby, and Bernadette. After chatting about work and the kids, Christine was almost afraid she'd run out of things to say. But when the wedding arrangements came into the conversation, she was even more afraid, as there were no arrangements to speak of. So when the children came tugging on their parents hands with sleep in their eyes, Christine said a silent thanks as they excused themselves to tuck the kids away.

Christine helped herself to another glass as she busied herself and looked about the room. The TV in the sitting room, though muted, played live footage of Times Square, while jazzy holiday music played on the sound system. She was fondly reminded of the first New Year's Eve celebration she was able to stay awake at. It was also the first time she celebrated with Papa in their new home with the Valerius'. The TV that night also showed sights of Times Square in the background as she and Papa played a game of monopoly in their pajamas, pizza boxes strewn about. Later on in the evening, they performed a song for Mama and Papa Valerius, her father enthusiastically fiddling on his violin. Then once the ball was ready to drop, they each donned a party hat and blower and cheered as they counted down to the New Year, toasting with sparkling apple cider in plastic flutes. Christine took a sip of her champagne as the memory faded.

"Hey pretty lady," she heard a familiar voice say.

She turned to find Raoul leaning against the wall next to her. She giggled as he continued. "What poor dolt left you to be by your lonesome self this evening?"

"My beloved is a man with many, many responsibilities, sir," she said playing along.

"Well if he had any sense, he would know that the only responsibility he should have is to you," he said getting closer, the smell of champagne becoming more and more apparent. "Else men like me find their way to entertain them ourselves."

"Oh I am no helpless female sir," she said getting closer to him as well. "I am fully capable of finding entertainment on my own."

Raoul raised his eyebrows in surprise as Christine went in for a kiss. They shared a small giggle as they parted.

"You look amazing honey," he said caressing her cheek.

"You're not so bad yourself," she replied. "Though I'm glad I dressed a little fancier than usual. Your dad's business friends really know how to jazz up a party."

Raoul chuckled. "They just don't know how to dress down is all. I better put that in our invitations or they might outdress us."

"Invitations?"

"For our wedding," he said with a smile.

"Right!" she said a little too loudly. "Right, I wouldn't want that happening."

"Oh by the way, I wanted to ask you about something."

"What is it?"

"There's a week long conference I have to be at in New York sometime in February. Dad and Philippe will be in Abu Dhabi, so I have to go to represent us in the committee."

"Oh, that's exciting!"

"Yeah, I get to really sink my feet into it, which is great since Dad wants me to take over most of the National business partnerships. But I don't want to be away from you for too long," he said, placing a kiss on her hand. "So I thought, what if we spend Valentine's weekend there?"

"In New York? The two of us?" she said, her excitement growing.

"Yeah! The conference ends that Friday, and instead of flying back, I can fly you there and we can spend the weekend together."

"Raoul I'd love that!" she said smiling widely. "We could ice skate in Central Park!"

"Have a day at the Met!"

"See a show!"

"Look at venues!"

"Look…" Christine paused. "Look at venues?"

"Yeah! I mean if you want to of course. New York would be a great option."

Christine paused and hummed at the thought. "I guess, it could be nice-"

"Oh everyone! The countdown is starting!" Mrs. De Chagny announced as she lowered the sound system and unmuted the TV.

Raoul smiled, kissing her on the forehead as they both turned towards the TV. The sounds of the guests drowned out as they began counting down. Suddenly she pictured herself in a grand wedding in the city and couldn't help but furrow her brows at the image.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" everyone cheered loudly as glasses collectively clinked in the room.

And as Raoul went in for their first kiss of the year, she pondered at what the New Year would bring her.

* * *

Amin leaned back onto the couch as he finished packing away the Monopoly board game. About 10 minutes ago, Reza had fallen asleep wrapped up into a blanket burrito while still sitting up. Though he insisted on staying up until midnight, he had already been nodding off by 11PM.

"Reza," Amin whispered. He stirred slightly. "Hey 30 seconds left buddy."

"Yeah I'm awake… I'm awake," he replied weakly.

Amin chuckled as he gathered the empty bowls and glasses to put in the kitchen sink. By the time he got back, only 10 seconds remained. He watched as the ball dropped and fireworks lit up the sky. Outside a similar scene was taking place and the living room filled with light. Couples on the screen shared New Year's kisses with each other and Amin sighed.

"Reza it's happening," he said gently. "There's fireworks everywhere!"

He received a muffled response followed by a groan.

Amin smiled as he lifted his son into his arms and made way towards the staircase. Reza stirred only to wrap his arms around his neck. "What about Monopoly?" he mumbled.

"Don't worry, I took a picture before putting it away. We'll continue next time," he replied rubbing his son's back. Another muffled response followed.

Amin climbed the steps as gently as he could and made a left towards Reza's bedroom. He placed him on his bed and covered him with the blanket as he kissed his forehead.

"Happy New Year Reza."

"Happy New Year Papa," Reza whispered. He turned to reach out towards his nightstand and retrieved his favorite stuffed animal in the shape of a white horse. "Say goodnight to Cesar too."

"Goodnight Cesar," Amin whispered as he kissed the stuffed animal.

"Say Happy New Year to… To Uncle…" Reza yawned, unable to finish.

"I will, now sleep Reza."

It only took seconds until sleep took him again, and Amin kissed his forehead once more before getting up. He rose from the bed as slowly as he could and gently closed the door behind him as he headed back down towards the kitchen. The TV was still on, playing softly in the background, and the fireworks went off in the distance as Amin began to wash the dishes. He was happy they were able to see Darius, Neda, and Dana before the New Year. And while he wanted them to enjoy their time with Darius' family, he almost wished they had gone out there with them. But someone needed to keep an eye on the office and he didn't want Darius and Neda to feel obliged to celebrate _every_ holiday with them. Still, if they had gone, perhaps the radio show would have never happened.

He had been shocked to hear that the news had spread so wide and so fast. He cringed at the thought of all the things people were probably saying about him, and about Reza for that matter. Still, Amin had to admit, he was very impressed with his boy and his cunning ways.

" _He's always been smarter than us,"_ Soraya would say. And she was right, as she always was. Only Reza would know to call a radio station so that he could help his Papa find a new wife.

" _Eventually, you will need to move on my darling… Promise me."_

Amin sighed heavily as he dried the dishes. How could he move on when he still hurt. How could he keep his promise when he still dreamed of her. "I don't know how…" he whispered.

"You don't know how what?" a deep velvet voice asked.

Quickly grabbing a knife, Amin turned sharply towards the direction of the voice. Only instead of a man, he saw a shadow. A shadow with glowing amber eyes.

He lowered his weapon immediately. "For fuck's sake Erik-"

"It's good to know you haven't lost your touch," he replied, emerging from the shadows. The right side of his face beneath a black leather mask.

"How did you even…" Amin paused as he blinked slowly, shaking his head. "You know what, nevermind."

Amin turned around and replaced the knife as he continued. "Where were you an hour ago? Reza thought you'd be here."

"I'll apologize to him in the morning. You know how easily I lose track of time when inspiration hits."

"What could you possibly be doing on New Year's Eve that needed your undivided attention?"

"There are many things I do in my spare time, Daroga."

"Don't call me that," Amin replied flatly, knowing his request would be easily ignored. "What do you want at this hour then Erik?"

"Am I not allowed to wish an old friend a Happy New Year? Even if it is belated?"

"It depends on what he wants," he replied dryly.

"You hurt me, insult my character…" He paused, waiting for a reaction. Amin only raised an impatient eyebrow. "Is there wine?"

"You know where it is," replied Amin, waving his hand unenthusiastically.

Erik wore a small smirk on his face as he made his way over to the wine cabinet. Although there was a lock, Amin knew very well that he needed no key to bypass it. Soon enough there was a click and Erik picked out his choice. He didn't even bother locking the cabinet as he closed it. When he turned, he saw that Amin had already placed two wine glasses on the counter. Erik took a seat, a curious look on his face. The left side of his face, that is.

"So I heard a rumor," Erik said as he popped open the bottle with ease.

"Allah help me…"

"Is it true then? Reza called a radio station to help to find you a new wife?" he chuckled.

"How did you even find out? Surely you don't listen to Chicago Radio stations in your spare time as well."

"Twitter, naturally," Erik said as-a-matter-of-factly. Amin pinched the bridge of his nose as he exhaled loudly.

"Though you should have asked me," Erik continued. "I know some people."

"Now you're just being funny," Amin replied as he opened the pizza box. "Cold pizza to go with your wine?"

"Don't mind if I do."

Amin made his way around to join him at the counter, grabbing the glass and a slice for himself.

"Thank god you allow yourself wine Daroga. I don't know if we could truly be friends if you didn't."

Amin rolled his eyes as he sipped his wine. "Happy New Year Erik."

"Yes, Happy New Year," Erik said as he raised his glass. He waited for Amin to clink his glass to his before continuing. "To Amin's future wife. God help her."


	4. Fan Mail

**A/N:** This is a shorter chapter, but hey at least it didn't take me 2 months! Enjoy :)

* * *

It was a pleasant evening when Amin and Reza came home. It had rained all day, but finally the clouds parted into pink strands and the blue sky blushed into a dull yellow as the sun began to set. Reza talked excitedly about his day and was anxious to return home as Darius and Neda had promised to send a postcard.

As soon as they arrived Reza ran towards the deck to get to the mailbox. Amin followed close behind only to stop short. At the front of the door was a United States Postal Service box, filled to the brim with letters.

"Woooah," Reza said inspecting a letter. "They're from TalkWaveLive! They're fan letters!"

"What?" Amin said incredulously as he examined a letter for himself. They had been forwarded from the radio station. "How did they get our address?"

"Ummm," Reza began. "They called and asked for it."

Amin hummed in understanding as he handed him the keys. Reza only replied with a guilty smile.

"Could you please open the door while I carry this box inside?"

"Okay!"

Reza quickly unlocked the front door and swung it open enthusiastically, holding it open as Amin entered the house. The boxed thudded gently as he placed it on the kitchen counter.

"Dinner first," Amin said with a sigh as he took off his coat. "What do you feel like having?"

"Tomato soup and grilled cheese please!" Reza replied, taking a seat at the counter as he opened a letter.

"Perfect," Amin muttered as he prepared the ingredients. "Nice and easy."

Amin was no great chef, but over the last couple of years he found it necessary that he add to his small knowledge of recipes instead of consuming the occasional frozen or fast food meal. And over the years he had grown to enjoy it - not only as a therapeutic relief, but also as a great bonding opportunity with Reza.

"'Dear Sleepless in Seattle'," Reza read aloud. "'You're the most handsomest man I've ever laid ears on.' _Blech_."

Amin chuckled at the sound and Reza paused before continuing.

"Papa, where's Denver?"

"It's a city in Colorado," he replied, emptying a box of locally made tomato soup into a small pot. "Do you know where Colorado is?"

Reza shook his head.

"Exactly," he said as he began to chop up some fresh parsley. "So let's stick to Seattle shall we?... Wait, no I mean-"

"Should I just read the ones from Washington then?" asked Reza as he shuffled through the letters.

"No Reza, what I _meant_ was - This isn't how I want to meet someone," he said, heating up the small pot. "People should meet organically and _then_ decide if they want to date."

"So you meet someone," Reza said as he opened another letter, "and then you can go out to the movies?"

"Not a movie on the first date," Amin replied, grabbing the sandwich ingredients from the fridge. "Maybe dinner or drinks first."

"Oh, this lady sent a picture. Wanna see?"

"Nooo thank you," he chuckled as he laid out the bread slices. "Now which cheese..."

Reza began reading the letter, this time whispering to himself, and stopped after a few sentences. "Papa?"

"Yes?" Amin replied as he struggled to open the package of cheese.

"What's an _or-gas-em_?"

Suddenly the package ripped open and Amin's hands fumbled nearly dropping the cheese. He stayed frozen in place holding the package to his chest, jade eyes wide with a trace of panic. "Um..."

"Want me to spell it out?"

"No!" he said loudly. He cleared his throat before continuing. "No," he said gentler this time. "Let's get back to it later okay?"

Reza sighed and placed the letter down. "Okaaaay."

"I promise we'll go through them _together,_ later. Let's get through dinner first hm?"

"Yes, I'm famished," Erik said as he entered the kitchen. "What's for dinner?"

"Uncle Erik!" Reza cried.

Amin pinched the bridge of his nose. "I really ought to change those locks. Not that they would stop you."

"The lock would have presented a challenge if it had actually been in use," he said, raising his visible eyebrow.

Amin paused and then looked at Reza, who grimaced slightly.

"Whoops," he said quietly.

Erik released a dark chuckle. "Well, if it hadn't been for me, some other person might have sneaked in and asked for dinner. But since it's just me, I must insist that I be fed for saving you the trouble."

Unamused, Amin plopped the first sandwich down onto the pan.

"Don't worry Uncle Erik, he always makes extra," Reza whispered loudly. "Just in case you come by."

"Really?" Erik said slightly amused. Amin only narrowed his eyes as he flipped the grilled cheese sandwich.

Erik chuckled again. "What on earth is this box for, Reza?"

"They're fan letters!"

"My goodness, I didn't realize people still did that. Are these from the Christmas show?"

"You heard about that?"

"I certainly did," he said looking through the box. "My, my, your Papa is quite popular. Have you read any yet?"

"Yes," Amin said quickly. "Reza, why don't you ask Uncle Erik about that word you asked me about."

"Okay," Reza said picking up the letter. "What does this mean?" he asked, pointing at the word.

Erik leaned over to get a good look, squinting slightly, when suddenly he froze. A bit of color rose from his neck as he cleared his throat. Amin bit his tongue and swallowed a laugh. "Well?"

"We should probably eat first Reza."

"Should I put it in the 'Later Jar'?"

"Uh, well…"

"No that's okay Reza," said Amin as he handed over bowls of soup. "Here soup's ready, eat it before it gets cold."

"Thank God," Erik murmured.

* * *

 _The breeze is cool when it hits his face, but he cannot feel it. He is walking towards something, or perhaps away, he cannot tell. But he follows and Reza leads the way. Another breeze comes, this time with the scent of fresh flowers and it fills the pit of his stomach. He turns to follow the scent and behind him he sees a dark figure in the distance. She waves softy to him, the action more of a farewell than a welcome, her long straight hair floating in the wind. He sighs and Reza calls out to him. He turns back and follows again. When he looks behind him once more, the figure is no longer there._

 _The path becomes darker and he becomes weary, suspicious of the path they are on. Still he follows. The sky darkens and the stars shine brightly. They twinkle in the darkness and light the way. Another path appears, lighter this time, only Reza does not go this way. He turns towards the path and Reza tugs his hand and shakes his head. But he is certain that this is the way._

 _Reza runs towards the darkness and he follows._

 _The darkness turns softer becoming more blue than black and the lights become brighter. He calls out for Reza but his voice makes no sound. Still he follows the darkness. Suddenly in the distance is another figure, another woman, her back to him, leaning forward on a railing. Her hair is wavy with curls. He hears Reza in her direction, and she does too, for she turns around and they embrace. Suddenly she lifts him into her arms and they twirl in the light, laughter surrounding them. His steps quicken and he calls out to them._

 _She puts Reza down and he waits by the railing. She turns towards him, still a figure cloaked under the darkness, yet he is drawn to her even more. He takes a step towards her and her lips appear, supple and pink, framed by brown curls._

 _He holds his hand out towards her, she hesitates, but reaches out to him as well. Somehow they are unable to make contact. The harder he reaches, the further she becomes. He calls out to her, her name made firmly on his lips, but it produces no sound. He calls out to her again, to stay, but still his voice is empty and he cannot reach her._

"WAIT!"

Amin woke suddenly and found himself in his bedroom, his slumber interrupted and his eyes wide, forced open from his dream. He felt the word disappear from his lips and his hands tingled with emptiness as the adrenaline slowly left his body. He sat up at the edge of the bed as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

He sighed deeply and scratched his beard as his mind slowly recollected the images. He pondered them for a moment. Though the excitement had left, his heart still ached softly as he recalled the intense need to reach them. To reach her. Amin shook his head and decided he'd head to the kitchen for a glass of water. Or perhaps a glass of wine.

Clad only in his boxer briefs, he rose slowly and grabbed the robe hanging at the foot of the bed. _You'll never know when you'll need it,_ Soraya had said when she gifted it to him. _Especially since you're always in your underwear._ He smiled softly as he slipped it on, tying a secure knot in the front.

He entered the hallway and turned towards Reza's room, the door slightly ajar, just as he had left it. He peeked inside and found Reza in his bed, his breaths deep with sleep, and Cesar held loosely in the crook of one arm. Amin released a sigh of relief, thankful that his dream hadn't woken him up. As he made his way down to the kitchen, his robe whooshing against the staircase, he thought of the woman in his dream.

* * *

For the umpteenth that night, Christine turned restlessly in her bed, her mind racing with empty thoughts. Raoul slept beside her peacefully, unperturbed by her movements. This was not the first sleepless night she had had and she doubted it would be the last. _Sleepless about "Sleepless"_ she thought, pitifully laughing at herself. Suddenly determined and thoroughly awake, she rose slowly from her bed, the cold air surrounding her as she quietly padded her way towards the living room. There at the end table was her laptop.

She cuddled into the couch, placing a fuzzy throw blanket around her and then reached for her laptop. Before opening up Twitter, she grabbed her earphones off the table and lowered the screen brightness as she plugged them in. She held her breath as she clicked and typed, each sound from the laptop piercing the undisturbed midnight air.

Then suddenly there it was in front of her, the radio show audio. The source of her troubled nights. She hesitated only slightly before confidently clicking the play button. _Let's get this over with, you can't hide forever._

The show began just as she remembered, Reza's youthful, confident voice shining through. The only kind of confidence you could get from an eight year old. Enthralled and charmed all over again, she found herself smiling even more than before. And this time, she could hear, more clearly now, Amin's genuine surprise. His hesitation. And his hurt.

Her hands began to tingle, a prominent emptiness aching in her chest. As neutral as she tried to be, the more emotional she became. And soon enough, her eyes watered, and she began to cry. Not because of the show or the grief she shared with Amin and Reza. But because her heart confirmed her fears: the thoughts that kept her up at night and the doubts she did not want to name.

She loved Raoul - but she was not in love with him. Not the way she wanted to be.

All those summers long ago, warm memories with Raoul and Papa were all she knew and wanted. And they were enough to keep Raoul close to her heart throughout the year, for several years. But inevitably, their communication faded and Raoul and his family stopped visiting the small beach town. Then Papa died and everything faded into darkness. And she too remained in it for a very long time.

When they met again, that lovely spring day, her heart warmed once more. Sweet memories of the past blossomed in her chest and she did not want to let go. Raoul became her light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel. And he took the pain away, gave her comfort. Only now, she was too comfortable.

After hearing Amin's grief, she was brought face to face with hers once more. A small realization was unlocked and her heart changed. To her, the life she led was everything she thought she wanted, but now everything had suddenly shifted. The want for change had always been quietly present, but her grip on the past was so tight, she neglected her wants, and her future. That was all changing now.

New questions rang fresh in her mind. Did she really want a life with Raoul? What did it entail? What did she want to achieve? As much as she loved the theater, she wanted something more. Something all her own. The sudden realization pounded in her head and took precedence. A wonderful distraction to her newfound crisis. She knew she wouldn't be able to rest unless she found a solution.

So she opened up a Google search page and began to type.

* * *

"Why on earth are you here, Erik?"

A knock at the office door had distracted Amin from his thoughts. And they disappeared completely as Erik had entered. He was at least thankful he had the decency to knock before entering.

"Is that how you treat all of your customers, Daroga? My, how rude."

"I won't ask again. What the hell do you want?" he asked almost bitterly as he sipped his lukewarm coffee. He was more annoyed at the lost train of thought than at Erik's presence.

"Language, Daroga, language."

"Erik."

"I'm just here to check up on the firm," he replied, checking Amin's bookshelves for dust with his gloved hands.

"And how is that any of your business?" Amin asked as he took another sip.

"Well, as a matter of fact," he said slowly, "I own this firm."

Amin forcibly spit out the coffee as it threatened to come out of his nose.

"Goodness," Erik said as he took a handkerchief from his coat pocket. Though instead of handing it to Amin, he began to softly dab his own coat. "What a mess."

Amin narrowed his eyes, an unamused scowl on his face. "I've been working here for two years and you only mention this now?!"

"How do you think you got the job?" he asked. "Merely based on your skills and experience?"

Amin sighed deeply as he reached for a tissue, silently begging for the patience not to throttle Erik then and there. "What... Do you want, Erik?" he asked flatly as he dabbed his own clothes.

"Well believe it or not I am here to help you," he started. Amin fought the urge to roll his eyes as he continued, "I thought it may be time for you to start 'stretching your legs' - start seeing people... romantically."

Amin blinked and only replied with a face of utter confusion.

Erik tilted his head. "What."

Amin paused before replying. "How, dare I ask, do you intend to help?"

"I have someone in mind that might do."

"And that person is?"

"You may recall a certain principal dancer from the previous theater I worked at?"

Amin's mind went blank and he blinked again. Erik sighed before continuing.

"There was a party opening night. You were there."

Amin closed his eyes, an eyebrow twitching with annoyance. "Erik, I was there to _arrest_ you that night."

"Yes. But you saw a glimpse of the show didn't you? And you collected her statement, correct?"

Amin opened his eyes slowly, his mouth slightly ajar, as he released another impatient sigh.

"Well," Erik continued, ignoring Amin, "I've offered her a job with my new establishment - to manage the dancers."

"And?" Amin finally managed.

"And I have her information with me," he said as he removed a business card from his pocket.

Amin chuckled. "You're serious?"

"Always."

"Erik," he said sternly, "How do you suppose I introduce myself? Hm? 'Hello, my name is Amin Qadir. You might not remember but we met briefly some years ago, on the night our mutual friend, Erik, was arrested. I've recently been widowed - are you available for lunch?!'"

Erik paused. "That's… That's not bad actually."

"Erik."

"Okay, I'll just leave this here," he said as he placed the card at the edge of his desk. "Just think about it."

Amin got up and opened the office door. "Yes well, as you know, I have a lot of work to do. So if you could please leave."

"Yes alright," he replied as he stood up. "You'll thank me later."

Erik made his way over to the doorway, but paused and turned towards him before leaving. "One more thing."

Amin pinched his nose and looked up, knowing he would not leave until he said what he needed.

"Why is it that when someone gets 'widowed' they're a 'widower'?" he asked. "Wouldn't they be 'widowered'?"

Amin did not hesitate to slam the door in his face.

* * *

The fragrance from the kitchen slowly infiltrated the second floor hallway as Amin climbed the steps of Mrs. Cecile's home. He headed towards Jaime's room, music filtering through the door. Mrs. Cecile was in the middle of making dinner when he arrived, so he volunteered to fetch Reza himself when he didn't respond to their calls.

Amin knocked loudly and paused before turning the handle and opening the door. The music intensified, an upbeat song from a recent movie soundtrack blasting through the air. Reza and Jaime sat on the floor together, arms linked, reading a book together as they giggled.

"Hey Reza," Amin said loudly.

"Oh! Hi Papa!" Reza replied as Jaime lowered the volume on her device. "Is it time already?"

"Yep, time to go home!"

"Awww," Reza and Jaime said simultaneously. Reza unlinked his arms and began to gather his things.

"Looks like you guys had lots of fun today," said Amin.

"Reza promised to listen to the _Moana_ soundtrack, if I promised to read his _Dragon Ball_ comic books-"

" _Manga,_ " Reza corrected.

"Sorry, _Manga._ And it was actually really fun!"

"Yeah I guess _Moana_ isn't _so_ bad," Reza admitted. Jaime replied with a giggle.

"Well good, more fun for you both tomorrow then," Amin chuckled. "Say bye to Jaime, Reza."

"Bye Jaime!"

"Bye! Oh-"

Jaime quickly got up and whispered something into Reza's ear and they both laughed. Amin raised a curious eyebrow.

"Okay, I'll tell you tomorrow," replied Reza.

"Okay, don't forget! Bye Mr. Qadir!" she said almost too excitedly.

"Bye Jaime," he replied suspiciously.

They made their way downstairs and said their goodbyes to Mrs. Cecile as well. And before Amin was able to start the car, Reza began to ask him questions.

"Papa, could I get a phone?"

"A phone?"

"Yeah."

"Like, a cell phone?" he asked as he turned onto the road.

"Yeah. Jaime gave me her number," he replied. "And we- I thought it would be cool if I could text her and stuff."

Amin remained silent for a moment while different responses and situations played in his head. None of them good. He supposed it wouldn't be a bad idea, especially since he was a single father. But a cell phone at eight seemed very young. And his reason for wanting it did not help convince him that he should have one.

"Papa?"

Amin cleared his throat before answering. "Well… I think you may be a little too young for a phone, even though Jaime has one. I'll think about it."

Reza sighed, knowing full well that that most likely meant no. "What about sleepovers?"

Amin laughed as he made a turn. "A sleepover? Jaime wants to sleepover?"

"Yeah and she was gonna ask her mom today too."

"I'll see Reza. I'll need to talk with Mr. and Mrs. Cecile about that one."

"Alright," Reza said dejectedly.

"Aw hey come on," Amin said reassuringly. "You get to see her almost everyday during winter break. And then everyday at school later too!"

Reza sighed again, but only half as heavy. "You're right."

Amin smiled and looked at him through the rear view mirror. "Don't worry buddy, she won't stop liking you overnight."

"It's not like _that_!" Reza exclaimed a blush rising in his cheeks. Amin only chuckled and Reza playfully narrowed his eyes at him. Amin looked back once again and raised his eyebrows playfully. Reza laughed, his face still red, a wide grin on his face.

The rest of the way home he softly hummed the song that played earlier.

As they walked towards the house, they saw that another small bundle of letters were left at the door. Amin could only be thankful that they were getting smaller and smaller each day. Reza picked them up excitedly as Amin unlocked the door.

"How about after dinner, we finish up reading these letters, hm?" Amin asked.

"Sure!"

"And how about we get pizza because I'm too lazy to cook."

"Even better! I'll put in the order!" Reza said as he rushed towards the computer.

Amin chuckled as he took off his shoes and put his things aside. As he emptied his coat pockets, a small white card fell out from one of them. As soon as Amin picked it up, he remembered the card immediately from earlier that day.

 _You'll thank me later_.

Curious, he read the embossed script as Reza continued to hum his song in the background. Amin fidgeted with his phone as he thought.

"Okay, Papa, it'll be here in 30 minutes," Reza said proudly. "Should we read some letters?"

Amin looked up at the pile of letters and then back down again at the business card.

"Give me a minute Reza, I'm gonna make a quick phone call."


End file.
